


Growth

by pencilguin



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-31 11:09:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20114137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pencilguin/pseuds/pencilguin
Summary: [spoilers for season 2] After coming back from the dead and then walking out; after finding his way back and at last returning home, there is a question that Paul needs to ask Hugh.





	Growth

**Author's Note:**

> So, so, so much love goes out to the folks on Discord for being amazing, supportive, and the best enablers a writer could ask for. <3  
Wrote this in the middle of the night because it wanted out, almost fell asleep while proofreading. Still looked okay the next morning. It's unbeta'd, but I hope it's legible enough.

They’ve made up and found each other again. At last. They’ve kissed before and touched before, since. Since everything fell apart so fast and then slowly came back together. But this is the first night that Hugh is back home since he came back and then left. Back in their quarters. Back in their bed.

They’ve given each other time; for Paul to fully heal and for both of them to readjust to those new, old arrangements. Enough time until both of them felt ready again.

Their kisses are hungry, curious, intense, soft. Sometimes all at the same time. It feels like they’ve done this a million times, and yet it’s not the same. Not bad. Just new. Paul is needy, and unashamed about it, his entire body trying to wrap around Hugh, whose hands are, it seems, everywhere. His heart feels like it’s going to burst whenever he remembers how many times he’d wished for this over the past months. He doesn’t even know if he wants them to have sex now; he just knows he wants Hugh, Hugh, Hugh, will never wish for anything else again in his life, because they got a second chance at something that no-one ever could have hoped they’d have.

He nuzzles the crook of Hugh’s neck, shivers at the sensation of Hugh’s fingers running through his hair. Buries his face in Hugh’s neck, takes a deep breath in, then out, then another. He starts thinking again.

“How does it feel?” he whispers, close to Hugh’s ear, whose hands slow down.

Hugh gets what he’s asking. He also senses the fear. His hands start rubbing pensive, comforting circles against Paul’s back.

“… New,” he eventually says. “But also familiar.”

Even more quietly, Paul asks the feared question. “Is it good enough?”

“Paul …” Hugh’s embrace tightens. He kisses the crown of Paul’s head. “Of course it’s good enough. You … You’ve always been good enough. Even when I believed that you needed to do better. You always _will_ be good enough.”

The tension seeps out of Paul. Completely, maybe for the first time.

“So it’s normal that it feels different?”

Hugh remains silent for a few seconds.

“I don’t see how it could not.”

“Do you think everything will ever go back to the way it was?”

“Maybe. But, Paul.” At this, he looks at Hugh properly again. “Different doesn’t have to be bad. It can be a good thing. A sign of growth.”

Hugh’s hand is on Paul’s cheek, lightly stroking against the faint hint of stubble there, and Paul leans into the touch, closes his eyes.

“I guess we’ll be okay then. As long as we can grow together.”

Hugh smiles, and kisses him again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who leaves lovely and supportive comments on my fics! Even if I usually don't know how to adequately respond to them, please be assured that they make me super happy and brighten my day! <3


End file.
